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Is Typhoid Fever Caused by Bacteria?

Typhoid fever is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi. People infectied with Salmonella paratyphi usually become less severely ill than those infected with Salmonella typhi.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of typhoid fever include loss of appetite, headache, generalized aches and pains, fever (as high as 104 F), lethargy and diarrhea. Less common symptoms include chest congestion and abdominal pain.

    Treatment

    • Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics such as ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or ciprofloxacin.

    Transmission

    • Infected persons have high concentrations of Salmonella typhi or Salmonella paratyphi bacteria in their stool. Inadequate hand washing and inadequate sewage treatment can then lead to contamination of food and water, causing typhoid fever when ingested. Typhoid fever is common in the developing world.

    Prevention

    • Good hygiene during food preparation, thorough hand washing and sewage treatment that kills Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi are essential in preventing the spread of typhoid fever. One can also get vaccinated against typhoid fever.

    Misconception

    • Typhoid fever should not be confused with typhus, which is also a bacterial infection and has some similar symptoms such as headache, fever and generalized aches. Typhus is transmitted by bites from infected insects such as chiggers, lice, ticks and fleas.

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